Chapter 1 Ah, I almost forgot, Yuanshi Tianzun is great at clearing dungeons. With him, things will be much easier for us.” Brother Red Rooster let out a hearty laugh.

The others agreed with this Fire Master's words.

Like a tree's shadow or a person's reputation, Yuanshi Tianzun has an unparalleled talent for clearing dungeons, which helped him achieve the status of a Saint. That was an obvious fact.

Moreover, Yin Ji's question just now showed that she also wanted to hear Yuanshi Tianzun's opinion.

“I've read the information about Yashan Sea. The six Saints who died there were all Level 4. That means it was originally a Level 4, S-class dungeon.” Zhang Yuanqing spoke eloquently.

“But our current situation is that our team consists of Levels 4, 5, and 6, and our main quests are different. This means that the dungeon difficulty changed after the six Saints died in Yashan Sea.”

“And the reason for the change in difficulty is likely due to the items they left behind.”

“It is also possible that triggering a hidden quest caused the crisis that wiped out the team to replace the ghost ship as the dungeon boss.”

Of course, he couldn't bring up that information because he couldn't explain its source.

His reasoning was sound, and his companions nodded slightly in agreement.

The slightly overweight Free Eagle said excitedly in a foreign language,

"This is truly a treasure-level dungeon! Besides the dungeon rewards, there are also the items left behind by the previous team. If I can clear this dungeon, I'll be rich!"

She might even be able to take it a step further and become a Level 2 Gold Executive.

At this moment, Yin Ji continued,

“S-class dungeons are extremely difficult. We must not be careless. It would be too dangerous to rashly execute the task without a strategy. I suggest everyone analyze the dungeon and sort out our thoughts.”

Unconsciously, she took over the team's command, but it didn't feel offensive or abrupt. Instead, it felt natural.

On one hand, she was the highest level and the strongest. On the other hand, her tone was gentle, and her way of asking questions was very considerate. She was always asking for everyone's opinion rather than issuing orders as a captain. Zhang Yuanqing, with his keen "sense" of social situations, knew that she was a high-level player.

"As expected, a woman who can captivate a Demon Lord is more than just gentle."

Seeing that no one objected, Yin Ji asked, "What do you know about the Battle of Yashan?"

Brother Red Rooster was the first to speak up. "I know, I know! After Yashan, there was no China; after the fall of Ming, there was no Chinese civilization. Oh, and the young emperor was carried by his minister and jumped into the sea, and countless loyal and righteous people followed him to their deaths. It's truly tragic!"

"After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Mongolians established the Yuan Dynasty. This was the first time in Han Chinese history that the regime was truly overthrown and ruled by a foreign race," Xia Shu Zhi Lian added.

"It is said that the Southern Song soldiers and civilians numbered 200,000 in total. After the defeat, more than 100,000 people jumped into the sea and died for their country. The blood dyed the ocean red, and the floating corpses did not dissipate for dozens of days. It is indeed a sigh that thousands upon thousands of Han Chinese men were defeated so miserably."

"These are all very superficial historical facts. I don't feel like they're useful at all." Zhang Yuanqing pondered, about to speak when he heard Xiahou Aotian scoff,

"Ignorant, superficial, and uncultured!"

He first commented on his companions' remarks, then raised his chin and said,

"The Southern Song Dynasty was politically corrupt and harmed the country and the people. Its demise was the general trend and the choice of the people of the world. What is there to lament? The harm that a corrupt regime does to the people is unimaginable. It's better to be ruled by a foreign race."

"Don't be unconvinced. Use your stupid brains and think. The Mongolians conquered the world on horseback. What kind of navy would they have? Who was fighting the remnants of the Southern Song Dynasty in the Battle of Yashan? More than half of them were Han Chinese sailors who had surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty. The main general, Zhang Hongfan, was also Han Chinese. To put it bluntly, the Southern Song Dynasty was corrupt, weak, and unable to protect its country and its people. A weak dynasty that couldn't even hold onto its territory deserved to perish. What's there to regret?"

"History has always only recorded the loyalty and bravery of civil and military officials, praising their tragic deeds and attributing everything to fate, but never reflecting on the reasons."

"A regime that wins the hearts of the people can never be destroyed. And no matter how much a dynasty that has fallen is whitewashed, it cannot conceal the fact that it was extremely corrupt. Read more books."

"So what if you're a Scholar? That doesn't make you better than us," the others muttered inwardly.

Xiahou Aotian continued,

"If the Battle of Yashan is a complete dungeon, then I estimate that the danger comes from two aspects: first, the sea in front of us, and second, Yashan Island across the sea."

"Before the Battle of Yashan began, the remaining forces of the Southern Song Dynasty had established a temporary palace on Yashan Island and eked out a living for a period of time. There were still many civilians there. I think there will definitely be some plot there."

"In addition, according to the Lingjing's description, I believe that the enemies are those Song Dynasty heroic spirits sealed in the Yashan Sea area by the Dragon Locking Formation, and perhaps the Yuan Dynasty souls who died in battle."

"Based on my experience, in this kind of survival-based main quest dungeon, we need to actively explore. If we always stay on the shore and don't understand, perhaps an irresistible crisis will suddenly appear near the end of the dungeon, leading to a team wipe."

"So I suggest crossing this sea to Yashan Island."

After speaking, Xiahou Aotian glanced at Yuanshi Tianzun with a half-provocative, half-arrogant look.

"For this protagonist's remarks, what do you, this genius, have to add?"

"What a load of crap about being the protagonist. Your style is typical of a villain." Zhang Yuanqing twitched the corner of his mouth.

Yin Ji, Yunmeng, and the others all looked at Yuanshi Tianzun. They held a "welcome" attitude towards this kind of conflict that was beneficial to clearing the dungeon.

Past experience told them that someone in the team would always hide something, and someone would always be unable to resist using their teammates as stepping stones and cannon fodder.

This "straightforward" guy, Xiahou Aotian, was a good activator.

In addition, they also wanted to see how good Yuanshi Tianzun was. Although they had never looked down on him.

"As expected of the quality of a Saint, it's really not something that Transcendent can compare to. Even this seemingly brainless chuunibyou is actually quite smart. These few guys probably have pretty high hidden points to be matched into an S-class dungeon." Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly.

When facing Transcendent cultivators, he would feel a strong sense of superiority and could clearly feel that there was a huge gap between Transcendent cultivators and himself. Only a few elites were worthy of his serious attention.

But now, as soon as he entered the Saint realm dungeon, he felt "pressure" from several of his companions.

"No additions." Zhang Yuanqing said.

Just as everyone was disappointed, he said,

"But there are a few questions that Protagonist Xiahou needs to think about."

"One: What kind of enemy could have killed six Saints with powerful items here?"

"Two: In the Yashan Battle, there must have been Lingjing Xingzhe involved. Is the Dragon Locking Formation in the Lingjing's description really to cut off the possibility of the Southern Song Dynasty's embers rekindling, or is it to seal something?"

"Three: The main quests for Level 4 and Level 5/6 are different. If we follow you two, will we encounter that monster? Would it be better to split up? Or is this different main quest a conspiracy by the Lingjing, intending to separate us and defeat us one by one?"

"Four: This point is the most important. If we cross the sea, we need a boat."

These questions silenced the Saints present, and Xiahou Aotian also frowned.

The first three questions directly pointed to the dungeon's difficulty ceiling, whether there were hidden quests, and the possibility of the team breaking up after encountering setbacks in the quest.

It was indeed a deeper thought than Xiahou Aotian's.

At this time, Brother Red Rooster shrugged and said,

"It's useless to say so much. We still have to go. If we finish the dungeon early, we can go home and have morning tea. My soup is still simmering. The chicken I bought is freshly killed, so fresh."

It seemed that the importance of an S-class dungeon was completely incomparable to his fresh chicken in his eyes.

"But we don't have a boat. Are we going to swim over?" the Qinghe clan girl Yunmeng asked.

As they were talking, Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji simultaneously turned their heads to look at the sea. They saw a large ship floating on the dark, lightless sea at some unknown time.

The warship was about eight zhang long and two zhang wide. The ship's hull was covered with iron armor. There were no masts or sails. The power used was the wheels on both sides of the ship, with six wheels on each side and eight paddles on each wheel.

The warship as a whole was extremely old, covered with moss and barnacles. The color was dark and dull, and the iron armor on the hull still had traces of smoke, fire, knife cuts, and axe chops.

It appeared silently, taking advantage of the darkness to approach the shore. The ship was quiet and full of eeriness and gloom.

When the ship docked, Brother Red Rooster said, "Is this here to pick us up?"

Zhang Yuanqing opened his Star Eyes and looked at everyone's faces. Each one was covered with dark clouds, containing the light of blood, indicating that everyone might die here.

And this ship was the tool that would take them to hell.

"It looks like it." Zhang Yuanqing said.

Although he said that, everyone didn't move, including the Fire Master Red Rooster, who was known for his recklessness.

The male Yin corpse wearing a black robe beside Yin Ji suddenly stepped out and strode towards the sea. Then, he jumped up, flew more than ten meters, and landed heavily on the deck.

A dozen seconds later, Yin Ji said,

"There is no danger on the ship."

After saying that, her skirt fluttered, and she flew up into the air as if by magic, floating towards the sea like a fairy.

Only Zhang Yuanqing saw that there was a blurry Yin spirit attached behind her, carrying her as she flew.

"A Yin spirit that can fly? Tsk, a senior Star Official has deep foundations." Zhang Yuanqing watched with envy.

So far, his spirit servants were only Little Dolt and the Ghost Bride. His Yin corpses only included Blood Rose. On the other hand, Yin Ji, who was also a Star Official, had two powerful Yin corpses, and that was just what was on the surface. She must have many spirit servants.

In the final analysis, he leveled up too quickly. It had only been a little over three months since he became a Lingjing Xingzhe, and he simply hadn't had time to accumulate.

And refining Yin corpses and spirit servants required nurturing and collecting. Accumulation was the most important thing.

With Yin Ji taking the lead, everyone showed their skills. Brother Red Rooster jumped up, and flames spurted out from the soles of his feet, pushing him towards the warship like a rocket accelerator.

Yunmeng spread her arms and quickly transformed into a colorful bird, flapping her wings. Xia Shu Zhi Lian saw this and ran forward two steps, jumping up and grabbing Yunmeng's ankle.

The two flew towards the warship, swaying, and successfully reached the deck.

Behind them, pillars of water soared into the sky, and Free Eagle leaped between the pillars of water, successfully getting on board.

Xiahou Aotian leisurely took out a jetpack and boarded the warship amidst a burst of piercing roars.

"Such high-tech items? Could it be that Scholars rely entirely on equipment in the later stages? This and us mutated poor people are simply two different styles." Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, his body turning into a dreamy starlight.

"Fortunately, Star Officials have teleportation skills, or it would be embarrassing."

Everyone gathered on the deck and looked around. The deck was damp and moldy, covered with wormholes that had been eaten out. Stepping on it made a creaking sound.

But it was still sturdy, because Brother Red Rooster stomped his feet hard, and no holes appeared in the deck.

But the problem came one after another - who would steer the ship?

Everyone's eyes turned to Xiahou Aotian in unison.

"Don't mention steering a ship, I have no problem steering a plane." Xiahou Aotian raised his chin and said proudly, then changed the subject, "But I need an assistant."

Yin Ji said softly, "Is a spirit servant okay?"

"Alright." Xiahou Aotian reluctantly agreed.

Immediately, Yin Ji spat out a mouthful of Yin cold air, turning it into spirit servants to help Xiahou Aotian steer the warship.

The wheels rolled, and the warship cut through the black seawater and sailed towards the ocean.

The others stayed on the deck, looking out at the sea, concentrating and preparing for battle.

Free Eagle was not very gregarious, seeming to disdain mixing with this group of compatriots, and silently prepared for battle on the other side of the deck.

Yin Ji stood at the bow of the ship, her beautiful hair and skirt flying in the wind. She was an extremely beautiful woman. Although her face was covered with black纱 (sha, gauze), her melancholy eyes contained a hidden charm that surpassed most women.

Her plump, tall figure and detached temperament allowed her to stand out even among a group of beauties.

"Life mentor" (人生导师) had said that third-rate beauties are judged by their faces, which are the least valuable. Second-rate beauties are judged by their figures in addition to their faces, and they are all sought-after.

First-rate beauties have both faces, figures, and temperament.

So-called temperament is the beauty's spiritual core, which requires years of cultivation and is something that ordinary women cannot have.

Super-first-rate beauties, on the other hand, have both faces, figures, and temperament, as well as a unique personality.

For example, crazy, black-bellied, green tea, tsundere, or well-behaved, and then there's Guan Ya, who likes to drive. In short, when you meet a super-first-rate beauty, just make a move and don't hesitate.

"Hesitate, and she'll belong to someone else."

"That's right." After hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing criticized, "You're objectifying women. That's politically incorrect."

Then he silently wrote it down.

He didn't know Yin Ji's personality very well, so he wasn't sure. At this stage, she was a first-rate beauty with a face, figure, and temperament.

"It's a pity that such a great elder sister likes a rotten person like the Demon Lord." Zhang Yuanqing was definitely not jealous of the Demon Lord.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Yin Ji turned her eyes and nodded slightly.

It could be seen that she was not an easy person to approach and had a clear sense of alienation.

She didn't treat him differently because of Yuanshi Tianzun's reputation.

"Is your Qinghe branch in the Shiwan Mountains?" Brother Red Rooster approached Yunmeng and asked expectantly.

"Yes!" Yunmeng nodded.

Brother Red Rooster rubbed his hands and said with a smile, "Let's exchange contact information."

Zhang Yuanqing was slightly surprised, thinking that this was the first time he had seen a Fire Master actively picking up girls.

Then he heard Brother Red Rooster say, "When you leave the dungeon, send me some fresh game so I can use it to make soup."

Yunmeng said embarrassedly,

"It's very troublesome to send express delivery from our place."

"Then I'll go to your Qinghe branch?"

"Our ancestors don't allow us to interact with Lingjing Xingzhe from the outside world."

"What era is it already? National unity is the way to go. Your ancestors are too rigid." Brother Red Rooster said unhappily, then tentatively asked,

"If I go to the Qinghe branch, will I get knocked out?"

"Seriously, this is an S-class dungeon. We're not here for vacation and tourism. Can you be serious?" Zhang Yuanqing muttered to the side.

Yin Ji, who was looking into the distance and concentrating on preparing for battle, turned her head and warned softly,

"You'd better not go to the Qinghe branch. The ancestors of the Qinghe clan are extremely xenophobic. Although the Qinghe branch belongs to the Five Elements Alliance, it's not a superior-subordinate relationship, but an alliance."

"Special treatment for ethnic minorities?" Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but interject.

Yin Ji shook her head slightly. "This isn't special treatment for ethnic minorities. The Qinghe clan's ancestor is very scary. In the official high-level circles, he's known as the sixth leader of the alliance. Back then, the Lord of the Central Court personally went to the Shiwan Mountains to subdue the Qinghe branch."

"The sixth leader of the alliance? A demigod?" Zhang Yuanqing was shocked.

Yin Ji didn't explain further and turned her gaze to the sea to continue guarding.

For a time, there was silence. The warship sailed unhurriedly towards Yashan Island in the distance. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly looked at Xia Shu Zhi Lian, who had been silent and fulfilling her duty, and said, "Xia Shu, what's the follow-up on the Pure Yang Sect Leader's matter?"

Ever since he was placed under house arrest, he had been cut off from outside information.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian turned her head and said,

"Elder Gao Feng is following up on this case, but as you know, a Pure Yang Sect Leader who is not bound by moral values is even harder to find than an evil profession. The Taiyi Sect's astrology and the Scholar's divination haven't been able to locate him."

"The Pure Yang Sect Leader seems to have anti-divination methods."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded slowly. "Then it's difficult. If the Pure Yang Sect Leader doesn't die, it will cause endless trouble. He's more troublesome than any evil profession."

"Not bound by moral values?" Yunmeng and Brother Red Rooster were confused, while Free Eagle seemed to have smelled important information, staring at Zhang Yuanqing with burning eyes full of a desire to learn.

At this moment, the steadily sailing ship stopped. Then there were dong, dong sounds of footsteps. Xiahou Aotian walked over.

He took out a black, technological helmet and put it on. Then he grabbed a submersible robot from his inventory.

"What are you doing?" Brother Red Rooster asked the question for everyone.

"Didn't the Lingjing's description say that there's a Dragon Locking Formation underwater? I'm going to let the robot go underwater to investigate." Xiahou Aotian mocked,

"S-class dungeons can't rely on force alone. You have to use your brains."

"Ah, the way you speak is so irritating. Do you believe I'll boil you into soup?" Although Brother Red Rooster was only 1.7 meters tall, he had the aura of a 2.7-meter man.

"There's no need, there's no need. He's not from Fujian." Zhang Yuanqing stopped the conflict. The Alchemist was proficient in formations, so Xiahou Aotian's approach was correct.

Plop!

The half-meter-high submersible robot jumped into the sea, and a searchlight lit up on its chest.

Xiahou Aotian stood in place, concentrating on controlling the robot.

Zhang Yuanqing and the others waited patiently.

Suddenly, Xiahou Aotian screamed and frantically took off his helmet. His face was extremely horrified, as if he had been frightened by something. Goosebumps rose on his neck and the back of his hands.